title: Liver involvement in systemic infection.
abstract: The liver is heavily involved in the vast majority of systemic infections. Pathophysiological mechanisms involved in hepatic involvement in generalized sepsis require further study, as does the importance of bacterial infection in the presence of cirrhosis. Although parasitic involvement is theoretically dominated by Plasmodium spp., in clinical practice Entamoeba histolytica, Schistosoma spp. and Echinococcus spp. infections are far more important. Hepatobiliary involvement is also a feature of Ascaris lumbricoides, Fasciola hepatica and 'oriental' cholangiohepatitis. Various bacteria (including Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Treponema pallidum and Salmonella spp.) and viruses (e.g., cytomegalovirus, Herpes simplex and dengue) also cause significant hepatic involvement. A high index of suspicion for infection is required in paediatric hepatology.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Tropical Diseases, London, UK.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Cook
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology / Q000469:parasitology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D010272:Parasitic Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D018805:Sepsis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis